11 Take A Knee Memes & Tweets That Boldly Support NFL Players' Right To Protest

On Sunday, many National Football League players opted to "take a knee" during the singing of the national anthem at various games across the country as a means of protesting racial injustice in the U.S. While primarily serving as means of condemning racial discrimination and injustice, Sunday's protests also served to rebuke President Trump, who recently condemned NFL players for kneeling in protest during the national anthem — and suggested that kneeling players should be fired. Many on social media captured the sentiments of the day, with myriad "take a knee" memes and tweetsdemonstrating the powerful nature of the action and offering unwavering support to those players who choose to protest.

According to CNN, players from a variety of NFL teams took action Sunday to condemn discrimination and offer support for a player's right to protest. Indeed, several players from the New England Patriots, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cleveland Browns, the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins chose to kneel during the national anthem, while the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans chose to not even go onto the field during the anthem.

Liberty On Her Knees

Double Standards

Many took to Twitter to point out the complete disparity in the way the president has described white nationalists versus NFL players who kneel during the national anthem — and how he has seemingly defended the protest rights of the former group but not the latter.

The Power Of Peaceful Protests

Players Aren't Protesting The Flag

This Twitter user compared NFL players taking a knee to Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery public bus, as both actions served as symbolic means of protesting much larger racial injustices.

This Is Why

Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. (and many other Twitter users) shared a list of people of color who have been killed by police officers, also noting that the officers who killed them have not received convictions related to their deaths. The list offered a powerful reminder of why NFL players, particularly Colin Kaepernick, began taking a knee — to protest police treatment of black Americans.

Moving Solidarity

Perseverance In The Face Of Criticism

Bernice King, a daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., reminded Twitter users that people also condemned her father for engaging in peaceful protest, just as some people, including the president, are condemning NFL players who choose to do so. King's tweets offered an important reminder for protesters to carry on in the face of criticism.

Overall, it is clear that Sunday's NFL protests and the broader efforts of many NFL players to take a knee to protest racial injustice has resonated with many people. Hopefully Sunday's events will even further strengthen the powerful message of intolerance against racial injustice — and further entrench the notion that those who are protesting injustice have every right to do so.